February 17, 2018 Urban Exploring in Gary Part 3

The last stop of my abandoned building tour was Horace Mann High School. This school was opened with much fanfare in 1928 and was closed in 2004. Like most abandoned buildings, vandals, looters and the elements have taken a huge toll on this once grand building. I have thought about this for the past three weeks as I went through the pictures I took...there is a bit of sadness and some anger that I feel. But there is also something harder to describe. A strange beauty I see in decaying buildings. I have been fascinated by old buildings all my life. Maybe it is the history that interests me, maybe it is the beautiful architecture but there is something about them that draws me in.

 I have said during conversations about religion or the destruction of our planet that it would be interesting to me to witness the end of mankind. I love the Walking Dead for that same reason. It makes you think about what you would do in that situation. I guess I enjoy thinking about that because in a small way...

...walking down a hallway like this makes me feel like the end of the world is closer than it seems. 

So take what you will from viewing these photos but I also hope that maybe you know a building near you that should be saved...and you choose to help save it. 

Arsonists burned the auditorium so only the metal frames and springs are left of the seats.

Not sure if this is a lament or sarcasm.

It surprises me that looters left all the metal lockers.

The smaller of the two gymnasiums.

Even graffiti artists understand what needs to be done.

I love @POETRYBYBOOTS.

The lower floors were ice covered probably water left after the fires were put out.

The basement swimming pool.

There was a bomb shelter in the basement with leftover survival supply containers...

...and a message with directions.

The main gymnasium...

...with major damage to the relatively new floor. The gym was remodeled just a few years before the school closed.

My personal favorite of these pictures.

A metaphorical photo message.

Someone should have used this pamphlet instead of leaving it on the floor.

This is a close second to my previous favorite photograph.

February 17, 2018 Urban Exploring in Gary Part 2

The next stop was originally known as the Ralph Waldo Emerson School went it opened in 1909. It was also known as the Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts when it closed in 2008. The past ten years have not been kind to the once grand building as you can see in these pictures. It was abandoned by the Gary School board due to a severe mold issue and pretty much left to decay on it's own. I don't have a lot of words to say about my visit. At times I was impressed by something I saw in here. But mostly I was disheartened by how much history was just discarded like it wasn't worth the trouble to save it. 

Definitely appropriate graffiti. 

I understand taking what you can salvage and graffiti artists using the abandoned walls, but why come here just to destroy things.

There was lots of music sheets and booklets in the storage area.

After walking through the decaying hallways, I guess I focused on more historical items in the dark storage area upstairs. 

 

The "Work - Study - Play" was the motto of this school and it's first superintendent William Wirt.

The Gary Poetry Project has several panels on the old school.

"just love

we hear about it's arrival, we had three seasons yesterday

put the phone down, enjoy the view...breathe

and death comes" 

- from a poem, "Summer Sun, Summer Fun" on the side of an abandoned school building

February 17, 2018 Urban Exploring in Gary Part 1

I have a life long love affair with old buildings. I am sure it started in the mid 1970's in New York City. That era was probably the city's low point in it's very long history. But my grandfather would take us on day long trips into Manhattan. We would start downtown and end up in Central Park. I was amazed at all the old buildings and the histories and stories about them as told by my grandfather who clearly loved this city. As an adult whenever I am in a new city, I try to learn about it's history and I always take pictures of it's old buildings. The older buildings have character, unbelievable craftsmanship and in my opinion...soul. I easily dismiss most new buildings as soulless and I truly believe that is the best description. Since I have spent my whole life living in Rust Belt cities, I have seen the some of the worst devastation caused by the loss of manufacturing jobs from the '70s through '90s. Some neighborhoods and some cities have recovered and some have not...Gary, Indiana is on the still devastated list. I have visited Gary for work or on my way to Marquette Park and West Beach since 1985. I have always understood Gary's importance to the building of our country during the 1900's. What I could never understand is how it could be forgotten so easily. They still make steel in Gary. But parts of the city look like a war zone and appear to be uninhabited. I also know there are people that live there and care about their city. Marquette Park was renovated in the last 10 years and is a beautiful park with hiking trails through the dunes and a great beach. The Aquatorium and the Pavilion were were also renovated and are impressive places to hold corporate functions and private parties. But today's blog is about me combining my love of photography with my love of old buildings. This past summer I joined a group that shares both of those interests. They also care about the future of their city, Gary. So I joined several of them on a cold Saturday in February for my first UrbEx trip. 

Our first stop was City Methodist Church on Washington Street. This was once the largest Methodist Church in the Midwest. This is what it looks like today. Buildings like this are the closest things to ruins we have in America. Even now, standing here looking at this, I was impressed by this building.

It has been stripped of just about everything of value. 

Graffiti artists have come from all over the Chicagoland area to tag this building. 

We walked upstairs and into buildings attached to the church.

Graffiti with a message.

This was once a gymnasium on the second floor.

Impressive window frames and total destruction

Sometimes beauty can still be found surrounded by misery. The emotions run from tears to anger while wandering through this building.

The school's auditorium...

...and classrooms.

The once impressive church after being abandoned 43 years ago.

...and the school.